Wall or the like



Dec, 270, 1938 R. L, HOHL 2,141,000

WALL OR THE LIKE Original Filed March 12, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet l Dec. 20, 1938.

R. L. HOHL WALL OR THE LIKE Original Filed March 12, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Invenior: Bit/@6631 L.I{O71/Z, M W VIV R. L. HOHL Dec. 20, 1938.

WALL OR THE LIKE 5 Sheets-Sheet Z vLr Lia

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WALL OR THE LIKE Original Filed March 12, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 RWSGZZL. I10 714?.

Dec. 20, 1938.

R. L. HOHL WALL OR THE LIKE Original Filed March 12, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 9 '85 Iii/121221102".

Patented Dec. 20, 1 938 WALL on. Tim um;

Russell L. Hohl, New York, N. Y., assignor to Revere Copper and Brass Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Maryland Application March 12, 1938, Serial No. 195,583

Renewed June 3,

28 Claims.

My invention relates to building constructions, and is particularly, but not exclusively, concerned with walls made of blocks held together by preformed bonding means.

The invention, which has among its objects the provision of an improved wall construction of the above mentioned character and improved bonding means for use in connection with the same, will be best understood from the following description when read in the light of the accompanying drawings of a wall embodying the invention, the scope of which latter will be more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:-

Fig. 1 is an elevation of a wall constructed according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 22'of Fig. 1;

Figs. 3 and 4 are sections on the lines 3-3 and 4-4 respectively of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1 on an enlarged scale with the parts broken away and with the blocks omitted;

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 66 of Fig. 5;

.Fig. '7 is a perspective of the endportion of a bonding member, according to the invention, inserted between the horizontal courses of the wall according to Figs. 1 to 4;

Fig. 8 is an elevation with parts broken away of a bonding member, according to the invention, inserted between the vertical faces of the blocks of the wall according to Figs. 1 to 4;

Fig. 9 is a perspective with parts broken away of a bonding member, according to the invention, positioned at the end of the wall according to Figs. 1 to 4;

Fig. 10 is an end view of a modified form of bonding member on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 11 illustrates a fragment of a wall having a packing for the joints between the bonding members and the blocks at either or both the horizontal and vertical adjoining faces of the blocks;

Fig. 12 shows a further modified form of bonding member according to the invention and corpane supporting molding shown in Figs. 13, 14 and 15.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1 to 9, the wall illustrated is built up of preformed blocks I which as shown are hollow, the blocks being 5 preferably formed of glass. The blocks, however, may be formed of other material and may be solid.

As illustrated, the blocks are formed about their four edges at the front and back of the wall 10 with continuous raised portions or ribs .3, each of which provides oppositely facing shoulders 5 and 'l transverse to the adjoining faces of the blocks, the shoulders 5 constituting part of the exterior faces of the blocks at the front and back of the wall, and the ribs at opposite sides of the blocks causing the blocks to present recesses 9 which extend entirely around the four adjoining faces thereof. The raised portions 3, and their shoulders 5 and 1, at the vertical corners of the blocks extend in the vertical direction of the wall and those at the horizontal corners in the horizontal direction of the wall. The raised portions 3, however, can be omitted on any or all of the faces of the block transverse to the wall, in which case the shoulders 5 will be presented by the edges of the exterior surfaces of the blocks at the front and back of the wall, while the shoulders I will not be present.

As illustrated, all the adjoining faces of the blocks are bonded together by interposed bonding means comprising elongated plates ll, each plate having at each of opposite edges at opposite sides thereof a flange I3 cooperating with the shoulders 5 of the raised portions 3 of the blocks. Close to these flanges the plates are formed at each side thereof with longitudinally extending beads l5 which cooperate with the shoulders I of the blocks. It will be observed that this construction provides between the blocks at each edge thereof a part I! having at each side thereof a groove l9 receiving the adjacent raised portions 3 of a block, this grooved part in each instance comprising the beads l5 and adjacent flanges l3 and the portions of the bonding mem- 45 ber between them, and further that these grooved parts are tied together in spaced relation by the portions of the plate II between the beads l5, these portions'which tie the grooved parts together in the present embodiment of the inven- 50 tion being integral with those parts.

If desired the beads 15 of the above described bonding means may be omitted, but in such case without the same degree of assurance that the blocks will be held against displacement. Where 55 the raised portions 3 ofthe blocks are omitted, as above described, the beads l5 of course will be omitted in the absence of the blocks having grooves to receive them.

The bonding members above described are preferably formed of bronze, aluminum, or other metal alloy which may be readily extruded to form bonding members of long length.

The bonding members between the horizontal courses of blocks as shown in Fig. 1 are of long length so as to extend between a plurality of blocks, while the bonding members l1 between the vertical faces of the blocks are cut to such length as to extend but for the height of a block.

As shown, the bonding members between the vertical faces of the blocks have rounded corners 2| (Fig. 8) so as to fit the inner rounded. faces 23 (Fig. 7) of the flanges |3 of the horizontal bonding members. Further, as shown, the beads l5 of the horizontal members are notched at 25 (Fig. 7) to receive the ends of those bonding members which lie between the vertical faces of the blocks, this construction providing that the vertical bonding members between the blocks will be accurately spaced along the courses of the wall and that the bonding members between the blocks of different courses will be in vertical alignment.

At each of the vertical ends of the wall in the present embodiment of the invention, the blocks abut with a bonding member coextensive with the vertical height of the Wall. As illustrated, the portions of these bonding members at the end of the wall are formed with spaced rectangular openings ,21 (Figs. 5, 6 and 9), while the adjacent ends of the portions ll of the horizontal bonding members are formed with tabs or tongues 29 (Figs. 5, 6 and '1), which tongues project through the openings 21 and are secured to the vertical bonding members in any convenient manner. To this end, in the present embodiment of the invention, each tongue 29 is provided with a perforation 3| through which passes the shank 33 of a nail, the periphery of the head 35 of the nail and the opposite end of the shank thereof resting against the portion H of the vertical bonding member so as to form a wedge.

Further, as shown, the ends of the horizontal bonding members having the tabs 29 are notched at 31 (Fig. 7) to receive the beads I5 of the adjacent vertical bonding members, and the corners of the horizontal bonding members are rounded as shown at 39 (Figs. 5 and '1) to flt the rounded inner surfaces 23 of the adjacent flanges l3 of the vertical bonding members.

If it is desired to make the bonding members other than by extruding them, they may be formed of sheet metal as illustrated by Fig. 10. As illustrated in Fig. 10, the body 4| of an elongated strip of a metal is bent to form raised beads 43 at one side thereof corresponding to the beads |5 at one of the sides of the bonding members heretofore described. Each edge portion of the strip is bent and folded to form the curved portions 45 connected by a transverse portion 41 to form parts corresponding to the flanges I3 of the bonding members hereinbefore described, each folded over edge portion 49 of the strip being'bent at right angles to form a bead or flange 5| opposite a bead 43, these flanges 5| corresponding to the other beads l5 of the bonding member here-.

inbefore described.

In laying interior walls no provision ordinarily need be made for making the wall air-tight or water-tight. With exterior walls, as the blocks are laid mastic or other plastic material may be placed in the grooves between the flanges l3 and II, the excess of this mastic squeezing out as the blocks are laid, to make an air-tight and watertight joint, and, if desired, the cavities 8 when present may be entirely filled with mastic. As an alternate construction for making walls waterand air-tight, strips of flexible material, such as rubber, forming gaskets 53 (Fig. 11) may be placed in the grooves between the flanges l3 and '5.

When it is desired to provide for drainage of moisture from between the blocks the upper flange l3 at the exterior surface of the wall may be omitted from the horizontal extrusions, as illustrated in Fig. 12. In such casethe horizontal bonding members act as dams preventing vertical flow of moisture through the wall from one course to another, and the moisture which collects on any bonding member may drain to the exterior of the wall by reason of the omission of the flange 3 at the upper side of that bonding member at the exterior of the wall. Moisture from between the flanges .15 at the upper side of the bonding member may drain out by reason of the slots 25 (Fig. 7) in those beads, with which slots the vertical bonding members engage rather loosely.

, Where the wall is provided with an opening such as a door or window, 'the construction indicated by Figs. 1, 13, 14 and 15 may be employed, which figures specifically show a window, but it will be understood that a door opening would be similarly constructed. As shown, the bonding member at the vertical edge of the opening is coextensive with the vertical height of that opening, as will be clear from Fig. 1. At the sides of the vertical bonding members and horizontal bonding members opposite the blocks adjacent the wall openings are placed elongated members 55 to form a frame extending entirely around the opening, the adjoining ends of the members 55 being beveled as indicated at 51 in Fig. 1. As shown (Fig. 13), the members 55 are secured to the adjacent bonding members by screws 59. The horizontal bonding members, if desired, may be provided with perforated tabs 5| similar to the tabs 29 hereinbefore described, as shown at the left hand side of Fig. 13, or these tabs may be omitted, as shown at the right hand side of that flgure'. The tabs 5| when employed extend through aligned openings 83 (corresponding to the openings 21 hereinbefore described) formed in the vertical bondingmembers and associated members 55 and are secured to the latter by nails or other wedge members 55 corresponding tothe nails 33 hereinbefore described.

As illustrated, the members 55 at the sides adjacent the opening in the wall are integrally formed with angle portions having the legs 51 and 69, and with raised longitudinally extending beads 1|, at the outer sides of which latter are formed longitudinally extending grooves 13, this construction permitting the members 55 to be readily extruded. The ends of the legs 69 as extruded are formed at their ends on their inner sides with longitudinally extending notches 15, this construction permitting the opening between the legs 59 and beads 1| to be readily closed by snapping into the grooves 13 and notches 15 the edge portions of the legs of slightly flexible longitudinally extending metallic angle members 11.

When the wall opening is a door opening the angle portions 51, 69 afford a door jamb. Where the opening is a window the glass pane 19 thereof may be secured in the opening by means of the longitudinally extending moldings illustrated in Figs. 16 and 17. The base portion of this molding is formed of a channel member having a bottom portion 8i and spaced legs 88, the inner surfaces orthese legs being formed, as illustrated, with longitudinally extending beads or corrugations 85. As shown, one of the legs is formed with a longitudinally extending lateral flange 81 having at its outer end a longitudinally extending bead 89 parallel to the leg 83 so as to form a groove 9i. The cap portion of the molding comprises a longitudinally extending channel-shaped member having a bottom portion 98 and legs 85, the legs, with the bottom portion, being slightly resilient. Integrally formed at one side of this channel member is a laterally extending longitudinal flange 91 at one end of which is a lateral bead 99 parallel to the legs 95 so as to form a groove ii. These molding parts are preferably formed as long extruded lengths of uniform cross-section, and are preferably made of a relatively soft metal such as aluminum or aluminum alloy, although, if desired, they may be formed of bronze but without assurance of equally satisfactory results being secured. Forcing the legs 95 into the space between the legs 88 will cause galling of the surfaces of the metal in contact as one slides over the other, and this will securely lock the channel members together, this galling action being particularly noticeable when the metal is of aluminum or of aluminum alloy. The galling action is accentuated by the presence of the longitudinally extending beads 85 as they present substantially line contact with the surfaces of the legs 95.

As shown by Fig. 13, the molding base parts illustrated by Fig. 16 may be secured by screws I03 to the legs 61 of the members 55, after which the edges of the pane 19 may be placed against the beads 89 of those molding parts and the legs 95 of the other molding parts may be forced between the legs 83 to bring the beads 99 against the opposite side of the pane. For packing the joints between the pane and the moldings, conveniently the spaces between the flanges 81 and 91 and the beads 89 and 99 may be filled during assembly of the parts with mastic or other plasmolding parts having the legs 83 are secured to the other legs of the angle members by screws I. Where the window has two panes 19. as shown in Fig. 15, molding parts having the legs 83 may be secured by screws H3 to opposite sides of the projecting legs of the angle members I81.

It will be understood that the blocks" herein described may be of any convenient size, and. if desired, may be narrow transversely of the wall so as to be in the nature of sheets. It will also be understood that the entire wall may be made of the blocks, or that the blocks may sheath a separate wall. Either or both the horizontal bonding members may be but several inches in length and may be placed at the corners of the blocks so that one or the other bonding member engages with two adjacent blocks, in which case the spaces between the adjacent horizontal and adjacent vertical bonding members along the cracks between the blocks may be filled in with plastic calking material. It will also be understood that the bonding members may be formed of materials such as Bakelite, wood, or other poor conductors of heat so as better to insulate the wall.

It will be understood that within the scope of the appended claims wide deviations may be made in the forms of the invention herein described without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A wall or the like having, in combination, preformed blocks forming part of said wall, said blocks having adjacent faces transverse to the wall formed with raised portions adjacent opposite edges thereof which extend in the direction of the wall, which raised portions present inwardly facing shoulders; and a bond for said blocks comprising preformed longitudinally extending means between said faces extending transversely of the wall from adjacent one'of said inwardly facing shoulders to the other, which means is formed with raised longitudinally extending portions presenting outwardly facing shoulders cooperating with said inwardly facing shoulders of each of opposite blocksforrestraining the latter against relative displacement transversely of the wall.

2. A wall or the like having, in combination,

- rows of preformed blocks forming part of said wall, which blocks have their four faces transverse to the wall formed adjacent opposite edges thereof with raised portions presenting inwardly facing shoulders; a bond for said blocks comprising preformed means between said rows, and preformed means between the blocks of each row interlocked with the first mentioned means at opposite sides of the row, each of said means being formed with longitudinally extending raised portions presenting outwardly facing shoulders cooperating with said inwardly facing shoulders, said means between said rows being common to a plurality of blocks of each of such rows.

3. A wall or the like having, in combination, a preformed block forming part of the wall, said block having a face transverse to the wall formed adjacent the opposite edges thereof which extend in the direction of the surface of the wall with raised portions forming oppositely facing spaced shoulders adjacent each of said edges, and preformed bonding means for said block comprising a grooved part adjacent each of said edges, the groove of each of which parts receives one of said raised portions of said block and presents oppositely facing shoulders cooperating with the oppositely facing shoulders respectively of such raised portion.

4. A wall or the like having, in combination, a preformed block forming part of the wall, said block having a face transverse to the wall formed adjacent the opposite edges thereof which extend in the direction of the surface of the wall with raised portions forming oppositely facing spaced shoulders adjacent each of said edges, preformed bonding means for said block comprising a grooved part adjacent each of said edges, the groove of each of which parts receives one of said raised portions of said block and presents oppositely facing shoulders cooperating with the oppositely facing shoulders respectively of such raised portion, and means tying said grooved parts together in spaced relation.

5. A wall or the like having, in combination, a preformed block forming part of the wall, said block having a face transverse to the wall formed adjacent the opposite edges thereof which extend in the direction of the surface of the wall with raised portions forming oppositely facing spaced shoulders adjacent each of said edges, preformed bonding means for said block comprising a grooved part adjacent each of said edges, the groove of each of which parts receives one of said raised portions of said block and presents oppositely facing shoulders cooperating with the oppositely facing shoulders respectively of such raised portion, and means formed integrally with said grooved parts tying them together in spaced relation.

6. A wall or the like having, in combination, adjacent preformed blocks forming part of the wall, the facing sides of said blocks adjacent opposite edges thereof which extend in the direction of the surface of the wall having raised portions forming oppositely facing spaced shoulders adjacent each of said edges, and preformed bonding means for said blocks comprising a part adjacent each of said edges having a groove at opposite sides thereof, each of which grooves receives one of the raised portions of said blocks and presents oppositely facing shoulders cooperating with the oppositely facing shoulders respectively of the raised portion which the groove receives.

'7. A wall or the like having, in combination, adjacent preformed blocks forming part of the wall, the facing sides of said blocks adjacent opposite edges thereof which extend in the direction of the surface of the wall having raised portions forming oppositely facing spaced shoulders adjacent each of said edges, preformed bonding means for said blocks comprising a part adjacent each of said edges having a groove at opposite sides thereof, each of which grooves receives one of the raised portions of said blocks and presents oppositely facing shoulders cooperating with the oppositely facing shoulders respectively of the raised portion which the groove receives, and means tying said parts together 'in spaced relation.

8. A wall or the like having, in combination, adjacent preformed blocks forming part of the wall, the facing sides of said blocks adjacent opposite edges thereof which extend in the direction of the surface of the wall having raised portions forming oppositely facing spaced shoulders adjacent each of said edges, preformed bonding means for said blocks comprising a part adjacent each of said edges having a groove at opposite sides thereof, each of which grooves receives one of the raised portions of said blocks and presents oppositely facing shoulders cooperating with the oppositely facing shoulders respectively of the raised portion which the groove receives, and means formed integrally with said parts tying them together in spaced relation.

9. A wall or the like having, in combination, blocks forming part of the wall arranged in vertical and horizontal rows, the faces of said blocks transverse to the wall having at opposite edges thereof raised portions forming oppositely facing spaced shoulders adjacent said edges, preformed bonding means between adjacent blocks comprising a part adjacent each of said edges having a groove at opposite sides thereof, each of which grooves presents oppositely facing shoulders cooperating with the oppositely facing shoulders respectively of the raised portion which the groove receives, said bonding means between a plurality of rows which extend in one direction being coextensive with a plurality of blocks of those rows and the bonding means between the several blocks of at least one of those rows being confined to that row, and means interlocking the last mentioned bonding means to the bonding means at opposite sides of the row which contains them.

10. A wall or the like having, in combination, blocks forming part of the wall arranged in vertical and horizontal rows, the faces of said blocks transverse to the wall having at opposite edges thereof raised portions forming oppositely facing spaced shoulders adjacent said edges, preformed bonding means between adjacent blocks comprising a part adjacent each of said edges having a groove at opposite sides thereof, each of which grooves presents oppositely facing shoulders cooperating with the oppositely facing shoulders respectively of the raised portion which the groove receives, means tying said parts together in spaced relation, said bonding means between a plurality of rows which extend in one direction being coextensive with a plurality of blocks of those rows and the bonding means between the several blocks of at least one of those rows being confined to that row, and means interlocking the last mentioned bonding means to the bonding means at opposite sides of the row which contains them.-

11. A wall or the like having, in combination, adjacent preformed blocks forming part of the wall arranged in vertical and horizontal rows, preformed bonding means between said rows and the blocks of said rows comprising parts between said blocks at the edges thereof, which parts at all said edges except at the lower edge of at least one of the horizontal rows at one side of the wall have flanges cooperating with the adjacent surfaces of said blocks at the exterior of the wall.

12. A wall or the like having, in combination, adjacent preformed blocks, preformed means cooperating with said blocks for bonding them together having provision for draining moisture from between said blocks.

13. A wall or the like having, in combination, adjacent preformed blocks, preformed bonding means between said blocks, said blocks and bonding means being formed to provide cooperating shoulders preventing displacement of the blocks transversely of the wall, said bonding means having provision for draining moisture from between said blocks.

14. A wall or the like having, in combination, adjacent preformed blocks each formed on the opposed surfaces thereof to provide pairs of oppositely facing adjacent shoulders extending in the direction of the surface of the wall; preformed bonding means comprising a -plate-like part between said blocks formed with shoulder means cooperating with each of the shoulders of both of said pairs of shoulders of one of said blocks, and with each of the shoulders of one of said pairs of the other block, and with that shoulder only of the other pair of the last mentioned block which is adjacent the first mentioned pair of that block,

15. A wall or the like having, in combination, preformed blocks arranged in rows, means bond ing adjacent rows of a plurality of said rows, means separately bonding the adjacent blocks of each of said rows, said bonding means for said rows and for said blocks having cooperating portions for positioning the bonding means for said blocks in predetermined spaced relation relative to each other.

16. A wall or the like having, in combination, preformed blocks arranged in rows, preformed bonding means between said rows engaging the blocks thereof, bonding means between the blocks of each row engaging said blocks, the first mentioned bonding means and the second mentioned bonding means having cooperating portions for positioning said second mentioned bonding means in predetermined spaced relation relative to each other.

17. A wall or the like having, in combination, preformed blocks arranged in rows, platelike bonding members between said rows engaging with a plurality of the blocks of each of adjacent rows, plate-like bonding member's between the blocks of each of said rows, said bond ing members between said rows and those be-, tween said blocks of each row having cooperating tongue and groove joints for spacing the last mentioned members in predetermined relation.

18. A wall or the like comprising a preformed block having a-rib extending longitudinally of the wall on a face of the block transverse to the wall, means for securing said block comprising a grooved part receiving said rib, and a gasket in the groove of said part between the walls thereof and said rib.

19. A wall or the like having, in combination, preformed adjacent blocks having raised ribs extending longitudinally of the wall on faces transverse to the wall, bonding means for said blocks comprising grooved parts receiving said ribs, and gaskets in the grooves of 'said parts between the walls thereof and said ribs.

20. A wall having adjacent rows of blocks, an end member for said rows, means between said rows for bonding them together, and means for securing each of said means to said end member.

21. A wall having adjacent rows of blocks, an end member for said rows, means between said rows for bonding them together, said end member having spaced openings, said means each having a perforated portion projecting through said openings severally, and a wedge projecting through the perforation of each of said portions and cooperating with saidend member for securing said means thereto.

22. A bonding device for a block wail comprising an elongated part provided at each edge thereof with means forming a longitudinally extending groove adapted to receive a rib of a block. j

23. A bonding means for a block wall comprising a flattened elongated part provided at each edge thereof at opposite sides thereof with a longitudinally extending groove adapted to reforming a groove for receiving the edge of ablock, the two flanges nearest the medial line of said part at at least one side thereof being interrupted to provide a plurality of spaced pairs of opposite notches.

25. A bonding device for a block wall comprising an elongated sheet metal part bent to form at each of opposite sides thereof an edge flange and at least a pair of spaced flanges between saidedges.

26. A wall formed of blocks arranged to provide an opening, frame members conforming to the walls of said opening and interlocking with the adjacent blocks, a pane, and plane-securingmoldings carried by said frame members.

27. A window comprising a frame defining an opening, channel-shaped members secured to said frame with one of the legs of such members in abutting relation to said frame, the opposite legs thereof having laterally extending flanges, a pane one side of the edges of which rests against said flanges, parts resting against the opposite side of said pane at said edges, said parts carrying spaced flange members adapted to enter the channels of said channel-shaped members and frictionally engage the walls thereof for securing said parts to said members.

28. A pane-securing-molding comprising an elongated channel-shaped part having on one leg only a longitudinally extending lateral paneengaging flange spaced from the edge of such leg, a member adapted to be frictionally secured to said part comprising a longitudinally extending pane-engaging-portidn and laterally projecting longitudinally extending spaced flanges adapted to enter the opening of said part and frictionally engage the walls thereof.

' RUSSELL L. HOHL. 

